Pages

Monday, 30 April 2012

My weekend wasn't bad at all, and I trust you all had a good time too. Yesterday, I got thinking... I was doing a lot of soul searching and I came out with this piece and for that matter, the title above. Hope you enjoy it.

A strong woman believes in herself, her dreams and her abilities. A strong woman believes that despite the setbacks, heartbreaks, disappointments and failings of her life, she's on a journey and that although she might break down along the way and cry her heart out, she will wipe the tears in her eyes and keep moving.

A strong woman believes that, until she gets to where she is going, she's not giving up on her dreams or giving in to her challenges, she is not throwing in the towels, she's not going to let the storms of life get her drowning, she will not stay in the durst, but rather, she will get up, shake it off and keep moving forward.

A strong woman believes that, until she gets what she has set out to achieve, she's not letting go... Her zeal is consistently alive, her passion is resolute and her focus is one. You cannot distract a strong woman into dropping her pursuit when she believes she is on the right path. She has her pride to preserve, and she will never give up on a testimony worth telling. A strong woman knows the difference between bait and favour, and will never mistake the two no matter what she has to go through... And between love and the pleasure that endures only for a season, a strong woman will always choose love, even if it costs her everything she owns and stands for.

I believe I am a strong woman and I believe you all (my ladies on this platform) are too. So just in case you feel all is lost, remember God is with you and He will see you through it all; thick or thin. To all the strong women of blogville, I believe in you all and I know we will get there by God's grace.

In other matters, my blog turned a year old this April and I must admit that you all, and that includes my followers and everybody who has dropped any form of comment on this blog, have made my stay here very wonderful and worthwhile.

A family is not necessarily those whose blood you share, but those you love and also those who love you back. You! My blog friends are my family and I love you all as such. Thank you for loving me too. Best wishes, to you and yours.

Friday, 20 April 2012

The weekend is finally here... Hurayyy! Okay, I got the story below from Joyfm's facebook page. After reading to the end, I couldn't help but get pissed at the players in the story. Please read on (with small editing to help you relate more with the events discussed) and share your thoughts.

"Dear Bola, I went into marriage with a 4 year old daughter. My husband doesn’t have any problem with my daughter but he doesn’t love her. Let
me just put it bluntly. He doesn’t have any form relations with her. He
doesn’t care what I do with her or what happens to her. We simply don’t
talk about her. I had her while I was in school and I honestly do not
know the whereabouts of her father. I am gainfully employed so I really
I’m not bothered.

Growing up has been very difficult for her because
she had to call my husband uncle because if he is daddy, then she must
expect a lot from him. I have two other children with my husband so you
can understand this little girl’s challenge. Bola, she is 16 years
now and in SHS2. She is quite a smart and an intelligent girl. She told
me recently that, she wants to move out of the house. She wants me to
rent a place for her. Her reasons are that, she knows my husband
doesn’t like her and she thinks she can take care of herself. This hit
me so hard.

She is always either out of the house or locked up in her
bedroom. The relationship between she and her siblings is also dwindling. You
could tell that she is very embittered. Last week, my husband came
back from town with a bag full of clothes for my daughter. She took them
and just walked away. I followed her into her room to scold her and she
stopped me right there and walked out of the house.

Fear gripped me so I
asked my husband what all that was about and then he told me that, he
just feels he has been very unfair to her and wanted to start bridging
the gap. I could not but hug him in gratitude that finally, the nightmare in my home was over. He even told me that, she will come around and
he apologized to me for his unfair treatment towards the girl. Rather surprisingly,
my daughter’s attitude worsened and she insists she wants to move out of
the house. She won’t say why and I just kept assuming it’s the same old
problem. I asked an anonymous person to meet up with her, befriend
her and talk to her for me and there she blew everything open.

My husband
has been making sexual advances at her and has threatened to throw her
out if she doesn’t compromise. He says he has never seen her as a
daughter because he loves her and has just been waiting for her to grow
up. Bola, I have died a thousand times over. How mean could he be?
People have told me how they see him with young girls in very
compromising situations but because he is a fashion designer, I dismiss
it saying he could be working with them. I’m just realizing how naive I
have been all these years. I have spoken to my daughter to keep calm
whiles I find a solution to the problem.

She understands me. This is my
first point of call. I have too much running through my head. After 12
years of marriage... Bola I have my children to think about, my
marriage, society, my daughter’s well being and a whole lot… I need
advice. However, I am thinking of letting my daughter report him to
the police... I would want the police to pick him up for interrogation,
give him a strong warning and get him to write an undertaking to be of good behavior. Bola, in
this day and age of defilement and rape, if he continues and he is
arrested, this will spell doom for my family, social life and career".

What will be your advice to this lady? I said initially that I wasn't very enthused with lady's hastiness in going ahead to marry the man without paying attention to the kind of relationship he would have or is prepared to have with her daughter. Being a single parent, man or woman, is a sensitive situation, and I think she shouldn't have gone ahead with the marriage in the first place knowing that, the then husband to be wasn't too comfortable with her daughter, until she was able to resolve the way forward for the 2 parties. This should go for every single parent about to get married. Watch out for danger signals which show that the person who you are getting married to is not too cool with your child, then please advice yourself appropriately.

In this case however, since she is already married to him with kids, I think the best thing for her to do is to talk to their pastor or a trusted person so they can talk to the man and make him accountable, or, let the daughter go stay with a trusted relative of her's; but she must make sure that, she stay's in constant touch with her all the time. What do you think?

What could be wrong with Larry (the lady's husband)? Taking it beyond Erica’s
story (the lady involved) I want to ask, what makes men desire young girls and even their
children or relatives? What makes women want to sleep with young men, and little boys related to them and their friends? Why is Child Sexual Abuse becoming a rampant phenomenon in our society? Let's hear it dearies, as always...

Thursday, 12 April 2012

How you all doing? I trust each and everyone of us is doing very well by the abundant grace of God Almighty.

I have made a few observations about the importance of the family and I will like to share it right here.

I remember when my mum died, we were all shattered, my siblings, myself and the entire family. Time they say heals all wounds. I believe that to some extent the eight years time frame has been able to help us heal.

I mean, I had to heal from bitterness, hatred and learn to forgive. My elder brother on the other had to learn to heal from the guilt he had always lived with thinking the accident that led to my mum's death could have been avoided had he been a little more careful. We might not always be friends but we must be family, everyone comes out of one and walks into experience from one everyday.

One thing is sure and that is, love can never be found where it does not exist and love can never be hidden where it abounds. The bible says.....two cannot walk together unless they agree (Amos3:3). The bible also says that two are better than one but a three fold cord cannot be broken. Ecc4:12

Unity, is a wonderful thing. As far as the family is concerned, it is the strongest and most lethal weapon that God created. Even God recognizes that where there is unity, there is nothing that cannot be achieved. So let us all refuse to to be the reason why our families will break up; refuse to sit idle and watch your family disintegrate. Make up your mind, be an agent of love and unity in your family. Whether as a spouse, a parent, a child or a sibling.

Be a battle axe in God's hand for the purpose of the unity of your family. No matter what happens, you must say We shall not break up! We shall not break down!! We shall break through!!! I have said concerning mine. you should seriously say it concerning yours too... Amen